


Desert Snow

by TheHumanoidCatAngel



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fantasy, Found Family, Implied Sexual Content, Lots of Music, Multi, Non-Human Humanoid Society, Not Beta Read, bad language, can you tell i dont know how to tag?, gets pretty dark, ill add more tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:53:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24298396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHumanoidCatAngel/pseuds/TheHumanoidCatAngel
Summary: Set on the biggest Oasis of the Mat'Tir desert, the famous tavern Desert Snow houses a wide variety of dancers and performers. Described as being "lively with tons of things to do and enjoy" its easy to forget that the performers are people too. People with their own hardships and hang ups. So the mysterious traveler, Neill, decides he could help a person or two. And maybe enjoy the commodities while he's at it.
Kudos: 1





	Desert Snow

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! Thanks for checking out this story! You could say this is a little passion project of mine, so i'm sure things will change here and there pretty often. Any who, enjoy the read!

Sand.

Far as the eye can see. Blazing orange red dunes rose and fell like a gritty orange ocean, releasing the skin blistering heat that the sun so kindly gave it. It was beautiful as it was deadly.

And Niell hated every inch of it.

The young man trudged through the dastardly expanse, exhausted but determined, as a small town shimmered into view. Even with the great distance, the young man could make out the clay houses and the tarp shops that practically screamed shelter from the horrid sun. Niell almost didn't want to believe it, but the timing was correct as well as the map details. So on he trekked.

After a while he came upon the town, the drapery of clothing the desert dwellers told him he needed drenched in sweat. Legs ready to give, he quickly entered the entrance walls before collapsing against a nearby wall. Luckily for him he landed under a balcony and was protected from the harsh desert sunlight. Before he could even recuperate, however, a voice chimed besides him.

“A traveler, ey?”

Niell groggily peeled his face off the ground to behold an elderly man leaning against the wall, a knowing smile on his face. He wore the usual attire the people of the desert wore. Niell could only sigh.

“Yes, I'm sorry if I'm bothering you but I think my legs aren't going to work for a little while…” The man merely chuckled.

“Oh no, its quite alright. Although…” he plopped down next to the weary traveler, tugging at his rather thin vest with purpose. “I hope that you'll indulge this old man in telling what your destination is, ya? As i'm fairly sure humble lil’ Del’ Tir isn’t a tourist trap.”

Neill simply resigned to his fate, and with shaky arms he pushed himself into a sitting position. Now upright he took in the old man before him, sizing him up, before he finally spoke.

“... Mir’Mir Oasis.” He said. To his surprise, the old man smiled happily, as if this was good news.

“I see, I see…” he chuckled. “Then I don’t suppose that you’re heading to a little inn named Dessert Snow, ya?” He simply chortled when he saw Niell’s surprised face. “Of course ya are! That’s what everyone goes to the oasis for anyways… Well besides the water. Trying to see the pretty dancers? Or you just like fancy lodgings?” He raised a bushy white eyebrow quizzically

“Both actually, Desert Snow is one of the treasures of the world after all.”

“Right right. And how ya gonna get there, ya?”

“Don’t see why I should tell you.” Neill grumbled coldly.

“Hooo! A block a’ ice this one! Well if it makes ya feel better, I'm actually good friends with the owner, ya? So I guess I could… oh I don't know… give ya a little tip on getting to Mir’Mir in only one night.” Niell narrowed his eyes.

“Oh? And how does being friends with the owner give you such knowledge?” Comically the old man looked right, then left, before quickly scooting closer to him, making Neil tense.

“He he, well ya see, there’s two dancers that work o’er there who also run a lil’ transporting service e’ery other night. That’s how we get a good portion of our water supply, ya? They like helpin out the little towns like us. You didn't hear this from me, but I hear they transport people fer dirt cheap. Or should I say… sand cheap?!” At that, the senior slapped his thigh and let out a hoarse wheeze. Finding it hard not to laugh at this man, Neill looked at him seriously.

“You know that info was actually really helpful-”

“I’m sure it was.”

“... but I have to ask, there has to be something in this for you, right? I mean, informations’ never cheap. You're not gonna try and mug me are you?” The man didn't seem bothered at all by the obvious suspicion directed towards him, instead giving the young man his seemingly trademark snaggletooth grin.

“Ya see traveler, there is in fact something i want from ya.” Neil steeled himself, ready to wriggle his way out of any random fees this man could throw at him.

“Ya name traveler.”

“... Huh?” Niell coughed,caught off guard.

“ I jus’ want to know the name of the young man who’d give me the time of day.” Kind smile never fading, a boney hand extended to the young man. “Not too many folks ‘round here are willing to spare me a minute to chat, which is why I think e’ryone’s so hostile nowadays, ya?”

Niell sat there quietly,contemplating. His travels across these dry lands had made him see the absolute worst in people because of the limited resources. Bandits, common thieves, scammers passing of as beggars, you name it, Neill came in contact with them. But right now, he was facing nothing but sincerity and kindness. In all honesty, Niell was relieved. It was like taking a dip in a cold bath after hours in the hot sun… Cold bath… hot...

Sun… Oh right.

“Niell.” Realizing the old man had extended a hand, he quickly grabbed it in a firm shake.

“Dolbah, but the folks call me Ol’ Ba.”

“Well I'm very thankful for help today, Mr. Bah, it was very nice meeting you.”

“Heh, likewise kiddo. But drop the mister, ya makin me feel old!” Unable to help himself this time, Niell laughed politely. “Now come with me, I know a place with some real good tastin’ food.”

Welcoming the crisp night air like an old friend, Niell raised up his arms in a long stretch. Feeling the satisfying pops of his spine, he made for the outskirts of the small town.

From what the old man had told him, the two dancers were very friendly and it was very likely they'd take him to Mir’Mir for little of nothing if not free. The catch was they were punctual to the t. They had a tight schedule they abided by and they weren't stopping for anyone elses’ convenience.

And so on he went.

Old Bah had said their last stop was Del’Tir so they would be arriving about two hours before dawn. And seeing how he could no longer see most of the stars in the sky save the brightest, Neil suspected that they should be arriving soon. If they weren't here already.

As he passed by a few abandoned stands, he noticed a quiet commotion over by the entrance. Quickly making his way over, he noticed the crowd to mostly be young men, with all their attention being on a single target. And upon closer inspection, he couldn't blame them.

A tall woman was unloading what looked like to be some sort of cart, his attention immediately going to her amethyst colored horns that was complemented well with obsidian black hair. her attire consisted of a tightly wrapped tube top that nicely showed off powerful arms and mid drift. Black leggings covered her stilt like legs, and Neil didn't miss the power in those thighs either. Anyone worth their salt knew exactly who she was. Stealing himself, he determinedly pushed his way through the onlookers.

After a few awkward pushes and a totally intentional elbow to the ribs, the traveler made it to the front part of the crowd, becoming aware of the conversations between the men and the single woman.

“Hey now, hey now! I’m sure those canisters are heavy. Le’ me carry those for ya.” A burly man spoke boisterously, the top of his head barely reaching under her chin. The woman merely huffed.

“Oh please, I’ll carry you sweetheart.” Her voice was deep and smooth, not even slightly perturbed by the man.

“Hey, you single!?” a voice randomly shouted.

“Nope, dancing is my one and only.” she said. “And they can be pretty possessive if you catch my drift.” With a sly smile that accentuated the two tusks at the corner of her mouth, the woman hefted the aforementioned canister onto a shoulder, practically gliding over to the growing pile of metal cans.

“Oh ho a sense of humor! She’s a keeper!” A new voice again.

“I’d hope so, Donne, considering we keep your wife hydrated.” she tossed easily over her shoulder, causing the men to laugh. Taking this as his only chance to get her attention he fully squeezed to the very front, eliciting disgruntled shouts. Stumbling, he stopped haphazardly behind her, causing the men to shout various things at him.

“Who’s the shrimp?”

“What ego, thinkin’ he can talk An’re up like that.”

“In front of us no less.”

“Foreigners…”

Hearing the comments, An’re turned curiously. Being directly next to her really hit home just how freaking massive she was. Neill was, for the most part, average height for humans. So being completely towered over to this degree just left him speechless.

And her being absolutely beautiful wasn't helping.

“I don't believe we’ve met, stranger.” She started easily, striding past him and back over to the cart to grab another canister. “An’re’s the name. Sorry but I can't shake your hand right now. Gotta tight schedule to adhere to and all.”

“Right, that's what I wanted to talk to you about!” The young man said, getting straight to the point. “ I had heard you transport people to Mir’Mir. I was hoping you could help me out.” Already back over to the stack, she placed the final canister down with a small huff and turned to Neil.

“Tonight that may be a bit rough …” At that, the crowd behind them began to jeer snidely. This made An’re whip around and snap at them. “Why don't you lot get lost, huh?! Dont got anything better to do?!” The men all groaned in disappointment and reluctantly dispersed. “Sorry about them, I guess you can call them fans. Anyways, it's not like I'm telling you no outright, it’s just that today we had a pretty large haul. And I'm not the one to make that call.”

Neill tilted his head, confused.

“Then… who is?” An’re simply jerked her head towards the cart, making him look that way in a mixture of confusion and curiosity. Despite following her motion, Neill didn't see what, or who, she meant, only an empty cart. He turned back to her with a deeper confusion. To remedy this, she strode over to the cart, motioning for Neill to follow.

Now that he was closer, it turns out the “cart” was actually a large sled. It had no wheels, instead it had rather heavy duty runners, with two bars that looked like they were for something to push. The sled looked a lot larger than he originally thought as well, which, in hindsight, made a lot of sense considering the load An’re had just unpacked. An’re stepped over to it and leaned over, reaching for something inside.

“Hey, someone wants to ask you something.” For a moment Neill wondered what she could be doing before a head slowly rose over the edge of the sled, effectively startling the traveler. Were they in there the whole time?

“H-Huh!?”

“This is who i was talking about earlier.” An’re said simply, urging the other up gently. “Go on and introduce yourself, he’s listening.

Neil hesitated slightly when the new person rose out of the sled. The reason being that he was freaking huge. An’re had easily towered over him, but this guy was a good head taller than her! As he stepped out fully, Neil quickly took in his features, which were also way out of the ordinary. His skin was stark white like snow, with matching feathers protruding from the sides of his face, forearms, and the long tail that swished lowly. Huge black claws adorned his bird like feet, curling wickedly into the ground. His torso was mostly covered by a gray shawl, the hood drawn down to allow his white haired head to be exposed. Said hair fell into his face, effectively covering the left side of his face. This person, whatever he was, was actually stunningly beautiful, in a very intimidating way. The fact that the stranger had to look down at him, coupled with the completely unreadable expression and aforementioned claws tapping threateningly, the young man couldn't help but feel small. Noticing he was staring at him patiently- or impatiently for all he knew- Neill decided to hurry and explain himself before the stranger tore him to shreds.

“Ah… I was… uh…” … Or not. Everything he had in his head immediately disappeared as he couldn’t even bring himself to look away. A chuckle freed him from his stare as he looked to An’re, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself.

Patting her companion’s shoulder, she drew their attention. “You know, it's actually quite refreshing to see a person react like that to someone other than me.” She put a hand to her hip, her tusks dragging the corners of her mouth in a wide yet easy grin. “Let me help our friend here before we’re stuck here till supper.” Neill couldn't help but sigh in relief, as after that display he had no confidence in forming a sentence, let alone tell the tall being his request.

“So traveler, this here is Ran, a close friend of mine and the one who pulls our sled. He’s pretty quiet so I’ll do the talking for both of you. So Ran, this traveler here is trying to use our services.”

The white being nodded in understanding. He then grunted, raising a white brow.

“To the tavern, yeah.” She seemingly confirmed. He then turned to Neill suddenly, a question in his eyes. Neill didn't know what to say so he just offered his name. Another nod, but that didn't seem to satisfy the question. Instead of elaborating, Ran closed the distance between them, causing An’re to raise an eyebrow. Niell immediately tensed as Ran was now very close to him. He couldn't believe how far he had to look up just to look him in the face. He immediately regretted looking, however, because now that he could see both eyes clearly, all hope of looking away was dashed. He saw that he actually had two different eye colors. The right was a deep and dazzling blue, and the left an electric gold. A scar ran down over the left eye, starting over his eyebrow and ending mid cheek. He was so busy admiring the dancer’s eyes he barely registered his mouth moving.

“... How much?”

His voice was actually a lot higher than he had anticipated. Almost ….feminine?

“Uh… I-I don't follow..” An’re suddenly spoke from her spot behind her friend, realizing what he wanted.

“Your weight, friend.”

“Uh….” How in the world was he supposed to know? Was he supposed to guess? “P-probably around, um, 80 pounds?”

“Only 80!?” An’re balked. “I know you're not the biggest drifter to wander these sands, but still! Do you eat?”

Neill was about to answer something rather snipey but Ran seemed to not want an argument and rumbled loudly, effectively regaining their attention. How’d he even made the noise was beyond the young man. An’re shook her head in slight embarrassment.

“Right right, sorry. But I guess that means this won't be a problem for you, yeah?” She put up an arm, flexing the bicep. Ran, without skipping a beat, copied her motion, revealing the slender arms under the shaul. He then turned and walked away wordlessly.

“That's that then.” The dancer turned back to Neill with a grin.

“So you’ll help me out?” Neill tried not to sound too hopeful.

“Yup. since you weigh practically nothing, Ran can take you to Mir’Mir no problem.” Neill rolled his eyes at the comment on his weight, choosing to ignore it.

“Great, then. What now?”

“Go ahead and find a seat in the sled. I got some things to do real fast, but we’ll be leaving shortly.” Nodding his understanding, he turned and made his way over to the sled.

Ran was already there, sitting on the ground with his long legs spread in a v shape. With practiced motions, he’d reach for one foot as far as he could stretch, which was impressively far, and hold for a while before doing the same for the other leg. Neill watched the dancer do his seemingly routine stretches with quiet respect. He could tell by the way he went through the motions of stretching out his body that he must have quite a bit of experience. After another moment of silence, Neill decided to try and start a conversation.

“So you’re one of the top dancers at Desert Snow, right?”

No reply. He seemed to be done stretching, yet he stood with his back facing Neill. He didn't even react. Neill tried again.

“How long have you danced there?” Silence.

“Do you... like dancing?” Again silence. Neill huffed irritably. There was no chance that Ran hadn’t heard him, they were only a few feet apart. Yet he had refused to even acknowledge that he was being talked to. He only stared ahead,

Guess what they say about beautiful people is true. The only thing beautiful about them were their looks.

Before long, An’re reappeared, trotting huredly towards the silent pair. She quickly closed the distance, apologizing before she even got in earshot.

“So sorry for the wait! I swear, that mayor talks so much…” She trailed off when she looked to her partner who hadn't even reacted to her arrival. “Ran?”

He turned to her slightly, from where Neill was sitting he couldn't really see the expression on his face, but whatever it was spoke plenty to the dark skinned woman. She seemed slightly put off by her friend's mood.

“...Alright let's get going now.” With that she hopped into the sled, almost landing on Neill’s leg in the process. Forced to scoot over, Neill shuffled over to the other side of the sled. It was a little awkward since there were no seats nor padding, and it was more long than wide so he and An’re where squashed awkwardly together. “To Mir’Mir!” she cheered. With Ran behind the push bar, he gave a quiet grunt, and then they were moving. Neill actually had to hang on to the side as the speed increased drastically.

With one last parting glance at the little town of Del’Tir, The three traveled out into the expanse of desert.

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, thanks for checking out my story. Please tell me what you think in the comments or even ask a question!
> 
> Well see ya next time~!


End file.
